Uale Mai
Date of birth | 20 July 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Samoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Uale Mai Vala (born July 20, 1978) is a rugby union player and plays for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens World Series. He is Sevens rugby's most capped player and is considered one of the greats in the international sport.[1] In 2010, he joined the CR El Salvador.[2]
Mai was the first Samoan to be awarded the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year, which he received for the 2005–06 World Sevens Series. The ceremony took place in Glasgow's historic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Britain on 26 November 2006. He was also awarded Player of the Tournament at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2007.[3]
In 2009, Mai took a short break from the Samoa Sevens team but returned in 2010 under new coach Stephen Betham.
Mai is from Vailoa village in Palauli district on the island of Savai'i.[3]
Career
Mai has been one of the top try and points scorer in the IRB World Sevens Series. He is comfortable at Fly Half and Scrum Half at 15 a side rugby, where he represents Samoa in the national Manu Samoa. In 2008, he was awarded the Samoan Senior Player of the Year and also received a nomination for the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year.
References
- ^ "Mai returns as squads declared for NZI Sevens". International Rugby Board, News. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "Uale Mai Internacional Samoano nuevo apertura del Cetransa El Salvador". Cetransa El Salvador, News. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Manu Samoa 7s". Samoa Rugby Union. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
External links
- Living people
- World Rugby Awards winners
- Rugby union fly-halves
- Samoan rugby union players
- 1978 births
- Rugby sevens players
- People from Palauli
- Samoa international rugby union players
- Samoan expatriate rugby union players
- Expatriate rugby union players in Spain
- Samoan expatriates in Spain
- Samoan international rugby sevens players
- Samoan rugby union biography stubs